Carhartt WIP 50 Years Anniversary OG Active Jacket Denim - Black / USA Red rinsed

To mark 50 years of the iconic Active Jacket, Carhartt WIP has created four special edition designs. A symbol of memory and materiality, identity and adaptation, each new style honors the original.

Introduced in the US to serve a more casual consumer, the Active Jacket’s shape was based on the already popular Hooded Zip Sweatshirt, rebuilt with a tougher, reinforced exterior and insulated lining for warmth. In 1975, the style first appeared in denim – then considered an off-duty work fabric – with a bold red flannel lining. It was released in duck canvas shortly after, giving us the recognizable style we know today.

In 1997, Carhartt WIP introduced its own interpretation of this style, which would now be recognized as the OG Active Jacket, thanks to its loose, oversized silhouette. The item stayed true to its roots with a hooded bomber-style shape, triple stitching, and gold-tone hardware.

The history of the Active Jacket mirrors that of Carhartt WIP – a brand that creates products rooted in functional workwear, worn by an audience that defies categorization.

Today, 50 years on, the Active Jacket remains omnipresent within culture, rarely feeling out of place in the context of music, skateboarding, cinema, or subculture. Regardless of setting, this artefact remains largely unchanged, even as new meanings and memories continue to be woven into its story. A distillation of authenticity and versatility, the Active Jacket continues to make its presence felt, as the years and decades roll on.